Igniter



Sept. '2, 1930. H. A. DOUGLAS IGNITER Filed May 9, 1929 2 sums-sheet 2 Patented Sept. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES HARRYA. DOUGLAS, OF'BRONS'ON, IltIR'JIEIG'rAN'4 IGNITER Application filed Mayw' 9, 1929. Serial No. 361,674.

My invention relates to igniters, the 4igniter of my invention being of the class disclosed in my copending applications Serial Nos. 361,671; 361,672 and 361,673, each filed May 9, 1929. In each structure of the aforesaid copending applications a casing is employed having a lid thereon which carries the sparking mechanism which is inclusive of a striker and a body of pyrophoric material 1o from which sparks may emanate, this body of pyrophoric material being located within -the region of an inflammable element, such as a wick which projects into a fuel receptal cle. Each such sparking mechanislr is inclusive of a lever carried by the lid and conu nected with the striker, a spring for operating the lever and a latch for maintaining the lever iny a depressed position against the n force of the spring.l When the latch is released to permit the'spring to operate the leverto cause the spark the lever opens the top portion of the lid, .so that the lid does not then fully enclose the sparking mechanism. In accordance with my present invention the lever is in the form of a hood which yencloses the lid and, apparently, forms the lid o'f the casing, so that the mechanism'within the lid properis guarded by the lid and Vthe lid also may serve as a. Windshield to protect they flame that results from the operation of the sparking mechanism. The wick or inflam. mable element is supplied with fuel from a suitable member, such as a fuel container, which is removable from the casing, this fuel container being held in place by the lid.

The invention will be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view of an upper Eprtion of the igniter of my invention, parts ing shown in sectional elevation and parts in full elevation, this figure being generally takenon line 1 1 of Fig. 2; Fig` 2 is a sectinalview on line 2 2o'f Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a side view with parts broken away; Fig. 5 is .a plan View; Fig. 6 isan end view of an upper portion of the structure; Fig. 7 is a View gen'- erally taken on line 7 7 of Fig. l; Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line 8 8 of Fig. 1; Fig. 50\ 9 is a sectional View on line 9 9 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 is a view inv elevation, of the preferred form of fuel member, parts being broken away and shown in section; and Fig. 11 is a sectional view on line v11 11 of Fig. 1.

The fuel member illustrated is inclusive of a container 1 for the liquid fuel 2. This container has a cover 3 permanently secured thereto. This cover is furnished with an interiorly threaded bushing 4 that passes through an opening in the cover and receives a threaded closure plug. This closure plug has a flange 6 Which'presses a sealing gasket 7 upon the bushing. Fuel is admitted to the container through the opening occupiedI by the plug. Fuel is dischargedfrom the con- 55 tainer by means of a wick 8 that reaches the bottom of the container and passes through another. opening in the cover 3, this latter opening receiving a bushing 10 through which the wick passes. An upright elon- 70 gated bushing 11 has its flower end clinched into the border of the bushing 10 that surrounds an opening at the upper end of this bushing. The part 11 snugly surrounds the upper end of the Wick t'o position it suiicient- 75 ly close to thespark emanating portion of the' igniting mechanism. When containers of fthe construction described are carried in stock, each is supplied With a cap 12 whose skirt snugly engages the bushing 10 to guard 80 against the escape of liquid fuel.l

When the container is inserted Within the body 13 of the casing of an igniter the cap. 12 is removed, this cap beingreplaced by. a snufer 14 that is placed in sealing engage- 35 ment with the bushing 10 when the igniter is not in use and which is removed from such engagement when the wick is to be lighted, as will more fully hereinafter appear. The casing also includes a retainer 15 which is .90 preferably in the form of a lid for and preferably hinged upon thel casing body. Said lid is somewhat in the' form of anlinverted cu Whose bottom edgeor yrim-is tightl receive Within the upper end of the casing ody, this 95 rim then engaging the beadl 17 which -is formed upon and about the upper end of the lfuel container, said lid then preventiig the casing from being displaced upward y. A leaf Spring 18 is. secured, at one end, within the 10o casing body and upon its bottom wall, this spring being vdepressed by the lid, when closed, through the intermediation of the fuel container to prevent the fuel container from moving about within the casing, the spring compensating for some inequalities that may occur in manufacture. lVhen the fuel container within the casing is to be replaced the lid'is swung back from the casing body.

The retainer or lid desirably constitutes a carrier for all of the parts of the igniting mechanism, though the invention is not to be thus limited. The igniting mechanism. illustrated is inclusive of a block 19 of friable material, preferably flint, which is normally substantiallyv stationary with respect to the vcontainer and the wick or inflammable element 8 where. it issues from the container. This relationship of this block and the wick is dcsirahly nornially maintained by plac- `ing the block within a vertically disposed socket 20 which is rigidly assembled with the lid. The igniting mechanism also includes a striker 21 which is preferably in the form of a striking wheel 21. This striking wheel has an elongated hub which is journaled upon a shaft 21 which is removably secured to the A lid. This huh also carries a-pinion 212 which .is turned in order to turn the striking wheel to create sparks. Therack bar 22 is in mesh with the pinion.. This rack bar is moved to the right when the igniter is used for its purpose, the striking wheel then grinding out sparks from the body 19. It is guided in its movement, at its right' hand end, by the spring 23 which maintains it in mesh with the pinion. A Aleaf spring 25 is anchored, at one end, to the cover 15 and presses, at its 'unmounted end, against the block-.19 to maintain the block in engagement with the strikv ing Wheel and to feed theblock through the y wheel.

socket 20 as the block becomes worn by said The unmounted end ofV springs 25J may be moved out of alignment with' block 19, when it is desired to replace this block. The rack bar 22 is pivotally mounted at 26 upon the lever 27. This leverv is-pivoted upon the lid at 28 at which place the lid is also hingedupon the casing body.l The lever 27 isalso in the form of an inverted cup or hood that encloses the lid and imparts a finished appearance to the device as indicated in Fig. 4.

A coiled spring 29 is anchored, at its left hand end, to a bracket upon the lid 15 and at its right hand end is connected with a latch 30, that projects through an opening 31 in the front end of the lever 27. The inner end of the latch has rocking engagement, at 30', with the shelf 32 which is fixed upon and within Vthe lid15 and on which shelf the socket 20 is carried. The spring 29 normally serves to place the-projecting end of the latch above the ear 27- upon the lever to hold this lever down against the force of a spring 33. This springl surrounds the rack bar 22 and is bottomed at its left hand end against the bracket formation 22 which is carried by the lever 27 and upony which the rack bar is directly pivoted. The right hand end of the spring 33 engages the bracket formation l52 that is carried by and within the lid 15. When the latch 31 is moved to the left to clear the ear 27 the lever is moved in a countei-clockwise direction by the spring 33 due to the expansion of this spring and the movement of its left hand end toward the left. During this vcounterclockwise movement of the spring 33 the rack bar 22 turns the pinion 2lL and the striking or grinding -wheel 21 to cause sparks to emanate from the block 19. These sparks pass through the opening 15,3 against the top of the wick 8 from which the snuffel' 14 has been moved, this snuffer traveling with the lever. The right hand end wall of the lid 15 terminates to the left of the wick and between the wick ginal portion of the opening'in the part 152 through which the rack bar 22 passes.

Changes may be made without departing from the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim:

1.4 An igniter including a body casing having'outer and inner lid members hinged thereto for pivotal movement on a common axis, a bracket fixed to the outer lid and extending through an opening in the inner lid,

a releasable latch for holding the outer lid closed, a sparking mechanism operating barV pivoted at one end to'said bracket and having its other end extending through an opening in the inner. lid, spring mea-ns operable when the latch is released to cause the outer lid to swing on :its hinge and reciprocate the operating bar, a 'sparking mechanism within the inner lid'operated bythe aforesaid move-I ment of the operating bar to produce sparks adapted to pass' through an opening in the inner lid, and an inflammable element exteriorly of the inner lid and adjacent the last named opening ,to .receive igniting sparks from the sparking mechanism.

2. An igniter including a body casing having hinged outer andinner lid members, a releasable latch for holding the outer lid closed, a sparking mechanism operating bar an opening in the inner lid and having its other end slidably engaged through a second opening in the inner lid, sprin means operable when 'the latch is release to cause the pivoted lat one end to the outer lid through f outer lid to swing on its hinge and reciprocate the operating bar, a sparkin mechanism within the inner lid-operated y the aforesaidv movement of the operating bar to produce sparks adapted to pass through an my name.V

HARRY A. DOUGLAS. 

